Abstract

Room-temperature crystal structure and multiferroicproperties of the Bi0.92Nd0.08Fe1−xMnxO3 (x ≤ 0.3) ferromanganites have been studied to reveal the effect of Mn doping on the magnetic and ferroelectric behaviors of the lanthanide-modified compound representing a polar (space group R3c) predominantly antiferromagnetic phase of the Bi1−xLnxFeO3perovskites.B-site substitution tends to suppress existing polar displacements and induces a ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric transition near x = 0.2. The threshold concentration inducing the structural transformation does not coincide with that required to change the dominant magnetic interaction, so a weak ferromagnetic/ferroelectric state unusual for the Bi1−xLnxFeO3 and BiFe1−xMnxO3 series appears in the intermediate concentration range near the polar/nonpolar phase boundary.

Received 23 April 2013Accepted 27 May 2013Published online 07 June 2013

Acknowledgments:

This work was supported by funds from FEDER (Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade COMPETE) and from FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the project PEst-C/FIS/UI0036/2011, program “Ciência 2008”, and grant SFRH/BPD/42506/2007. FCT is also acknowledged for partial support within the project “Multifox” (PTDC/FIS/105416/2008).

Key Topics

[Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the
magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic
properties, Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties]